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Tropical Forest Research Network |
FIRST FSC-CERTIFIED NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
By Tinde van Andel
The fruits and palm hearts of Euterpe oleracea are non-timber forest products of major economical importance in the Brazilian Amazon. This multi-stemmed palm is widely distributed in the swamplands of northern South America and the greatest concentrations are in the Amazon estuary. People harvest the fruits by climbing the palms, cutting the inflorescence and extracting the fruit pulp mechanically or by hand. A highly nutritious liquid, locally known as açai, is processed into beverages, ice cream and pastries and is sold at local or regional markets. Mixed with cassava flour or rice, it is consumed in huge quantities by the poor section of the Amazonian population. Palm hearts consist of the young, undeveloped leaves in the crown shaft of the Euterpe palm and can be consumed raw or cooked. To harvest a palm heart, the entire stem is cut down and its crown shaft removed. Palm hearts are processed and canned in factories on the banks of the Amazon and are worth some US$ 120 million annually in domestic consumption and export value.
Repeated harvesting with short rotation periods leads to the weakening of individual palm clumps and a slower regeneration. Ecological research on Euterpe populations has pointed out that harvesting at short intervals (1-2 years), as is mostly the case in Brazil, causes clump mortality and a steady decline in production. Overharvesting and low-quality (immature) palm hearts have already weakened Brazil's position on the world market. Obviously, the indiscriminate felling of Euterpe palms also has a negative effect on the availability of açai resources.
Sustainable management
practices
Fortunately, alternative land-use practices permitting both fruit harvest and
palm heart extraction are being increasingly implemented by the rural Amazonian
population. Harvesting palm hearts after longer intervals (4-5 years) causes
less damage to the natural stands and produces a higher palm heart yield. Leaving
one mature stem per cluster intact increases the vitality of the clump and supplies
the extractor with fruits. Because of its frequency and clonal, self-regenerative
habit, E. oleracea is able to sustain a viable industry, as long as rotation
periods are long enough and producers strictly follow their management plans.
As long as people climb the trees to collect the fruit, instead of cutting all
mature stems, açai production can be considered sustainable. Other sustainable
management practices are the selective thinning of forest competitors (lianas)
and pruning to increase production.
Certified production
Some 4.000 hectares of Euterpe forest on Marajó Island (Amazon estuary)
were recently certified by the Smartwood Programme, according to the sustainability
guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The canning company, Muaná
Alimentos, buys palm hearts and açai from forest-dwelling communities.
In 2000, the company produced 540 tonnes of palm heart with a value of US$ 4
million. In the same year, 7 tonnes of pure and sweetened açai pulp were
exported to the US.
Muaná employees are hired and organised through a labour cooperative and training courses in responsible forest management are held periodically. Other technical training courses are made available to the community as a whole. New harvesting methods have been developed that enable adults to gather the fruits and the children now go to school. The newly founded producers' association provides boats and fuel for school transportation. The state government continues to provide support as well since eradication of child labour is high on their agenda. The school curriculum includes forest management and the basic concepts of nature conservation.
Reference:
van Andel, T.R., Bánki, O.S. and MacKinven, A. (in press) Commercial
non-timber forest products of the Guiana Shield: an inventory of commercial
NTFP extraction and possibilities for sustainable harvesting. Netherlands Committee
for IUCN, Amsterdam.
This study was carried out for the Guiana Shield Initiative (GSI), which is an ambitious ecoregional project, coordinated by the NC-IUCN with the aim of setting up sustainable financial mechanisms to conserve the unique in-tact ecosystems of the Guiana Shield. The development of commercial non-timber forest products is often one of the ways by which local communities generate income from their surrounding biodiversity.
Further information:
Dr Tinde van Andel
Leiden University branch of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands
Postbus 9514
2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
E-mail: andel@nhn.leidenuniv.nl
Website: http://www.guianashield.org/